The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Acanthus, given the name, ‘Whitewater’. Acanthus is in the family Acanthaceae. This new variety originated from a planned cross between Acanthus×‘Summer Beauty’ (an unpatented plant) as the seed parent and Acanthus mollis TASMANIAN ANGEL® (an unpatented plant) as the pollen parent. Compared to the seed parent, Acanthus×‘Summer Beauty’, the new cultivar has variegated leaves and pink tinted flowers and bracts rather than unvariegated leaves and white flowers with purple bracts. Compared to the pollen parent, Acanthus mollis TASMANIAN ANGEL® the new cultivar has a much more vigor, longer leaves, and taller flowers. Grown side by side under the same conditions Acanthus ‘Whitewater’ at 18 months from tissue culture will have double the plant spread and taller flower spikes than Acanthus mollis TASMANIAN ANGEL®. Two-year-old plants of Acanthus ‘Whitewater’ will not go fully dormant overwinter in Canby, Oreg. and will be of larger size than Acanthus mollis TASMANIAN ANGEL®.
While Acanthus mollis TASMANIAN ANGEL® is a very nice variegated plant, it does not have very much vigor. It often fails to return after one winter when grown outside. In USDA zone 8 it fails to thrive. Acanthus×‘Summer Beauty’ has very good hardiness and heat tolerance and grows as well in the southern US as in Oregon. This new Acanthus has the good characteristics of both parents and it is distinct in its combination of variegated leaves and excellent vigor.
The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and micropropagation), using the normal organ method where tip and lateral buds are cultured. Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.